What do popular TV historian Neil Oliver, actor and enthusiastic amateur archaeologist Tony Robinson of Blackadder and Time Team fame, and Martin Penney of MFW “I always make sure to blame the Board before it blames me” infamy have in common?
We all love a bit of the jolly old British history, that’s what, and discovering the odd long-lost enigma is always a bonus for all three of us.
I am delighted to say that just before Christmas I blew both the affable academic and the guy who is never afraid to conceal his personal political views*** from his television audience straight out of the North Sea with my discovery.
I discovered a football club whose empathy with its supporters and the local community at large was once so genuine and natural that it did not even feel the need to issue a press release concerning the doing of a particularly touching deed.
Let me take you, dear reader, back to the Covid-dominated dark ages of 2019-20 secure in the knowledge that whatever happened as recently as last week is history.
The Club had officially announced that older and vulnerable supporters would be given a telephone call by a player or a member of NCFC staff to see if they were okay, if they needed anything the Club could realistically help with, and how they were coping on a personal level.
I drew the long straw and got my call from the nice guy that is Phil Lythgoe, who I had actually met a couple of times before. I didn’t tell him that as it would have taken too long and he most likely would not have remembered me anyway but we had a laugh and I must admit it put a bit of a spring in my step for a while.
I’m sure many MFW readers of a similar vintage would have experienced the same thing and I’d love to hear who you spoke with!
What I discovered can seemingly be traced to the goodwill of somebody I have often cast as the Queen of Mean, one Delia Ann Smith CH CBE [b.1941].
In late November, I went for a blood test at Mundesley Medical Centre and noticed two framed Norwich City 2019-20 match-ready shirts on the waiting room wall. Quite when they were put up I do not know, but they weren’t there in the summer. I didn’t want to waste the receptionist’s time by asking, so just requested permission to take my photographs.
Both bear the following message:
“As the virus continues its reach, everyone at Norwich City Football Club would like you to know that we will never take for granted your dedication and selflessness.
“This gift comes with our love and deep gratitude from the players, staff, and supporters.
“With love and thanks, Delia and Michael.”
The bold type to highlight the word supporters is mine. At that time it was freely acknowledged that we would wish the medical staff all the best as well.
The shirt on the left of the triptych is signed by Timm Klose and the one on the right is from good ol’ Tetts.
But our right winger just might be throwing up a conundrum all of its own.
Bacton is a small satellite surgery to Mundesley and is not by any means always open. Maybe the practice manager thought the Tettey shirt would be better off at Mundesley where many more people might see it.
However, there is also a Bacton in Suffolk, not too far from where Delia and Michael live. Was the shirt originally intended for my neck of the woods in the first place? I doubt I’ll ever know and I’m certainly not rude enough to ask.
The one in the middle resides at Cromer Hospital and is very obviously from Teemu Pukki. MFW commentator 1×2 says that many Finns have excellent spoken English and our Teemu is certainly no slouch in the written department either. Neither are Timm or Alex, of course – and having seen the originals close up it is definitely spontaneous and “all their own work”!
The caption under the GOAT’s shirt is slightly different and introduces an anomaly in time that Tony Robinson would have feasted on [but I don’t care]:
“This football shirt was kindly donated by Norwich City Football Club to the staff of Cromer Hospital recognising their contribution during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.”
At the end of my anything-but-thorough investigations, I am left wondering about one thing. All good historical finds should leave you that way of course.
I have lived toing and froing between North Norfolk and the City for over 20 years now and cannot think of any particular connection with the area that Delia might have. One or two high-profile restaurateur pals maybe [sorry Mr. Blackiston but I prefer Mary Jane’s to No.1 Cromer – probably my working-class roots showing again] but beyond that, I’m not so sure.
If that is indeed the case, just how many of these signed shirts were sent out across the supporter catchment area? Humongous amounts?
And without a single puff from the PR popgun – that I can recall anyway.
So the good times when we all really felt part of something special weren’t that long ago, now were they?
I would love to have run this article past the Club to both find out a little more about the shirts and also to show that MFW tries to offer the spirit of giving credit where it is due but I freely concede – and sincerely hope – that they will have more important matters on their collective minds right now.
*** Tony Robinson’s politics are not for me, but Neil Oliver is my type of guy if this recent quote from breakfast TV is anything to go by:
“I’ll be honest. I don’t know what’s happening in Ukraine. I don’t understand it either [but] I do know that I don’t trust Putin, or our government, or Europe’s governments, or the governments of North America either. I certainly don’t trust any of them to tell the truth”.
___
Dedicated to a real man of musical mystery. Every time he picked up his white Strat you never knew what was coming, although Stevie Wonder did here!
RIP Jeff Beck:
On community ‘ stuff’ Delia has shown over the years she has a heart of gold , but it’s her football acumen that gets challenged. She often reminds me of a Thrasher , loads of activity with nothing happening.
Your use of one Tony Robinson, just makes me hope that Mr Wagner has a cunning plan, turnip or no , to break the chain of our current league form.
Hi Bernie
I should probably say something about the turnips on the field, but under the current circumstances that would be rather unfair.
Meanwhile Lord Flashheart continues to wield his pseudo-seductive magic upon poor blinkered Nursie.
Cheers
Just as long as Captain Rum isn’t steering the good ship NCFC Martin😂
🙂
Marty, I‘ll pickup on your final statement and link it to our Club. Don‘t trust any politician or public figure to tell the truth but do look at their actions or non actions. The Canary’s have failed twice to establish themselves in the top flight and are now in a mess, will it be more of the same? Apart from Wagner is it the same people doing the same things yet again? What little we are hearing from the Club doesn‘t indicate much of a change in attitude by the top brass so it‘s down to Wagner, and actions will speak louder than words.
Hi Cutty
You’re right of course – as long as the paucity of words continues we will have to go by the actions and the tangible results thereof.
*Apart from Wagner is it the same people doing the same things yet again?*
I do wonder if everything is done to a two-person diktat I’m afraid.
Cheers
I had the misfortune to meet Mr Robinson, whether he was having a bad day I don’t know, asked memy name I said Gordon then then proceeded to call Gerrald, I corrected him and got my head snapped off, that’s what’s you told me. I shrugged an walked away.
Anyways that’s in the past. Cannot fault the community work, at times i wish they would put that effort into the playing on the green stuff.
However with the passing of Jeff Beck perhaps Hi HO silver lining might be another good choice. That what we hope for the changes at the club (Saw Jeff twice once with the Yardbirds and once with his own group at the melody Rooms, Oak St Nch
Hi Lad
I must have been lucky but I’ve never really met anyone famous who was a butthole.
I deeply regret never seeing Beck live. Jeez I had enough chances, especially when I lived in London.
What appealed to me was the way the initiative with the signed shirts was done totally unannounced and I really hope those days are not gone forever.
Cheers
RIP Jeff Beck
He did a track with Clapton, Mayall and Page called Someday Baby maybe a good title for cities future.
Tony Robinson would be good company for Delia very similar in their out look on social media and both poor multi millionaire, it always makes me smile when you hear these socialist bemoan how the government should spent the countries money yet Hoard theirs away for a not so sunny day.
Sorry about that I’m not politically atuned normally.
I am a history buff and love most the UK’s and over the years still find little snippets that surprise me.
Let’s hope Wagner is given time and support from above and his friends over the pond to make some of his own in history that we as supporters can look back on and be happy with.
Hi Alex
Politics is a strange world mostly inhabited by *the wrong type of people* in my experience. I would think of myself as a bit left of centre in many, many ways but I could never bring myself to vote for anybody of any Party.
The flak normally flies when I say that!
I think we all want Wagner to do the best that he can – for us all. He cannot be judged on the fag-end of this season and that’s for sure.
I’m sure the vast majority of supporters will give him some breathing space and a fair chance and I’m very much among them.
The Jeff Beck Group did a track called Plynth. It’s published subtitle is Water Down the Drain. Jus’ sayin’.
Cheers
Tony Robinson a socialist? First I’ve heard of it. And the same applies to Delia.
Labour supporters they both may be, but definitely and defiantly not socialists.
Methinks you’re getting your centrists and your socialists a bit skewed, Alex.
Hi Andy
You doubtless know far more about this topic than I do – and I sincerely mean that – but I wouldn’t call it very centrist when Delia rather ostentatiously pays for a busload or two of activists to attend some anti-Government rally or other in London.
And no, I’m not suggesting that this particular government doesn’t deserve 99% of the flak it gets btw 🙂
Martin
As it was for a march in support of a second referendum to put the Brexit deal to a vote (lets call it the last great Remainer rally) I’d suggest its almost the dictionary definition of centrist.
It was backed by all the centrist New Labour cohorts, the very centrist LibDems and that strange centrist mob Chuka Umunna got involved with (Change UK was it?). Christ, its like a day out sponsored by Boden and M & S.
And to be fair, the ostentatious display by DS is representative of someone who is/was politically motivated very much putting their money where their mouth is.
She can’t win can she?
Ah, so it wasn’t anti Government as such after all.
I told you you knew more than me 🙂
Back in the 90’s just before Maggie T got dumped by the Tories she offered Delia a Damehood and she refused it, a few years later when asked why her reply was a socialist doesn’t do titles.
T Robinson resigned from the Labour Party saying he had more socialist tenancy than Labour.
But this is about football not politics
She didn’t turn down her CBE, although I guess that’s kind of different.
Course it should be all about football and football alone.
Martin, I dont know about an excellent level of english. Older people speaks english depending where they live. In the countryside there is less or any need for language skills and I suppose they can see someone as fancy if they have language skills. Compared to other non-english speaking countries the level is surely on the better side.
Ukraine war has bothered me since it started. I see both sides too similar, so they dont never going to give up. The amount of russian men they are sending to war its very worrying. Putin dont seem to care at all how many of them die. The so-called western world does not understand their mentalities. If Russia does not win it in an army vs army way, they will nuke Ukraine. Western politics theory that Russia would attack against every country is nonsense and that they would want Ukraine. That certain area they want because of resources and location. USA and China want that area too. So called biggest countries are always BS countries, whole history is full of their idiotic conquering and fights and because they are using way too much resources and thanks to that we have now also climate change going on.
Hi 1×2
Yes I understand about some people thinking things like speaking another language as unnecessary and a bit fancy!
What few country people we have left as the urban areas grow ever closer together sometimes choose to be insular in their way of life but this is becoming more and more difficult for them by the day.
As for the conflict in the Ukraine [or anywhere else of course] it seems bordering on the irresponsible to reference a heavy metal band but Black Sabbath nailed it in 1970 on a track called War Pigs from the famous album Paranoid:
Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor,
Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait till their judgement day comes.
Life really would be better for the rest of us if a few power crazy individuals and their supporters could all be confined on a remote island to air their differences!
Kiitos
Oh, Paranoid great song which quite many have played by themselves for fun. Some parents just made it possible that their kids could also play music by themselves and to their friends too. Garage bands as they call them. Im musically lousy but of course just like so many others spend some time trying to learn at least a little bit of playing instruments. Heavy metal was of course main musical preference so paranoid, holy diver, breaking the law and so on became even more common songs thanks to that. Great memories again!
Ha!
I used to play very bad 6-string too. I’ve still got a good Washburn and a 25-watt Peavey but hardly ever try to play now.
They were called garage bands here too before punk and new wave.
My son is quite good I am pleased to say. Great to hear a shout out for Priest and RJD!
Neil Oliver: GB News commentator, raging Brexiteer, anti-vaxer, anri-Green, anti-net zero, anti-‘woke’ (whatever ‘woke’ really is) and general all-round clown.
Have you lost the plot Mr Penney?
Hi ScotCan
No I haven’t lost the plot, not in the slightest.
I just highlighted a quote from somebody saying they didn’t trust politicians.
It could have been Micky Mouse or Goofy who said it for all I care.
I know nothing of Neil Oliver beyond his history shows.
Mind you he doesn’t appear to fit in with what little I do believe in, so retrospectively he would have been best left unquoted 🙂
Cheers
Ha! No worries. Having seen some of your views in print, I did a bit of a double-take. I suspect that the lack of trust of politicians might be the only point on which you agree with him 🤔.